Guest conductor Gilbert Varga led the orchestra through a program of works by Elgar, Schumann and Dvorak, finding the unifying Romantic-era sensibilities in each piece while highlighting the distinct musical voices of all three composers. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article(1)

Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America. By John Waters. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 288 pages. $26.

"I, John Waters, will hitchhike alone from the front of my Baltimore house to my co-op apartment in San Francisco and see what happens."

Waters calls that "the shortest pitch ever." As the writer, director and "filth elder" responsible for goodhearted, bad-taste movies such as 1972's "Pink Flamingos" and 1994's "Serial Mom," he knows about pitches, although there probably have been shorter ones. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article

Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America. By Rachel Hope Cleves. 296 pages. Oxford University Press. $29.95.

In a year when same-sex marriages are being recognized, unrecognized and rerecognized in courtrooms around the country, historian Rachel Hope Cleves flies us back in time two centuries to a remarkable couple.

Charity Bryant (1777-1851) and Sylvia Drake (1784-1868) lived together for decades in a small Vermont town in a relationship described by people who knew them as a marriage. While their union was without benefit of clerical or state sanction, it met the eye test for their community. A man from a neighboring village wrote in his memoir that he always heard "it mentioned as if Miss Bryant and Miss Drake were married to each other," Cleves reports. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article(1)

Heroes in Alan Furst's spy novels make their decisions with equal parts idealism, pragmatism and, for lack of a better word, principle.

Cristian Ferrar, the corporate lawyer at the heart of "Midnight in Europe" — the 13th in Furst's string of first-rate thrillers set in the years leading up to and into World War II — is definitely in the mold. And, like the best of Furst's heroes, he's as compelling as the intrigues he's drawn into. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article

We've been there and talked about that, and we'll talk about it a lot more in the weeks to come. But there's so much more music to experience in Milwaukee this summer that has nothing to do with the Big Gig. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article(2)

It's looking like the spotlight will be on emerging artists when it comes to this summer's most promising new albums, whether it's Lana Del Rey trying to prove she has legitimate talent or Ed Sheeran stepping up his sound to justify his new arena-headliner status. Here are five new summer albums we're eager to hear.

There's so much music to see in Milwaukee this summer — too much for one person to catch everything. But there's still a few major events worth hitting the road for, from the Luke Bryan-led Country Jam USA, to Beyoncé and Jay Z together in Chicago. Presenting five top choices for out-of-town music events to see this summer.

Before summer even began last year, the battle for Billboard Song of the Summer had already boiled down to a two-track race. Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" looked to be the early favorite, with Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" building momentum.

About 7,000 cyclists are expected to start pedaling between 7 and 9 a.m. Sunday during the UPAF Ride for the Arts, the United Performing Arts Fund's annual fundraising event.

All routes start at the South Gate of Maier Festival Park (the Summerfest grounds). Start times are 7 a.m. for the 66- and 40-mile routes; 7:45 a.m. for a 25-mile route over the Hoan Bridge; 8:15 a.m. for an alternate 25-mile route; 8:30 a.m. for a 12-mile route; and 9 a.m. for the 5-mile ride. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article

German Fest will broaden its annual haus party by introducing a new concert series, Jams on Tap, during the 2014 festival.

Jams on Tap will feature national pop and rock headliners, with well-known local opening acts, on the BMO Harris Pavilion Stage at Maier Festival Park. Jams on Tap concerts will require a separate ticket, but those tickets do include admission to German Fest itself. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article(4)

The Best of Brew City is your mobile guide to going out in Milwaukee. Locate events, live music, bars and restaurants near you and in Milwaukee's most popular neighborhoods. Visitbestofbrewcity.com and download the app for iOS or Android today.

It's taco time at the Horny Goat Hideaway, 2011 S. 1st St., which hosts the first Milwaukee Taco Fest on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. At least a dozen restaurants will be vying for the title of Milwaukee's best taco; Lucha Libre wrestling, tequila tasting and more are on the bill. Tickets are $15 at the door; kids 12 and younger get in free. Tacos are $2; tequila sampling is $5. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article

Mangia in Kenosha isn't new — the Mantuano family opened it in 1988 — but it's newly remodeled and newly considered.

The menu was updated while staying true to the restaurant's Italian roots. Now, it lists snacks, to appeal to guests who might want to drop in just for a drink and a little something to eat. There's more seating in the bar now, with high-top tables for dining. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article

Diners in Mequon were taking Salotto Zarletti's tagline of "a place to gather" seriously. They crowded into the bar; they filled the tables in the dining room. Waiting until the same day to make a reservation meant I could dine quite early or quite late.

A couple of weeks in at chef-restaurateur Brian Zarletti's new restaurant, and it looked as if the decision to open a place outside Milwaukee was a good one. The house was full. | May 30, 2014»Read Full Article(2)